Atlanta Hawks: Tim Hardaway Jr. is the Key to the Comeback
The Atlanta Hawks are in a deep hole against the Washington Wizards. And Tim Hardaway Jr. is the key to the comeback.
Things have not gone according to plan for the Atlanta Hawks so far.
Despite having some opportunities to steal a game on the road, the Hawks are down 2-0 to the Washington Wizards as the series heads to Atlanta. It can be adequately argued that the Hawks have not yet played well in this series and both games have still been relatively close.
Game Two showed a few welcome signs. Paul Millsap, after being outplayed by Markieff Morris in Game One, responded in Game Two with a 27-point, 10-rebound outing. Dennis Schroder has also played fairly well. The young point guard is averaging 24.0 points and 7.5 assists through two contests and has just three turnovers in the series.
Now, the Hawks need their dynamic wing scorer to find his groove.
Tim Hardaway Jr. has struggled mightily and has not been able to find a rhythm thus far in this series. Hardaway has shot 7-for-25 from the field through two games and appears to be the missing piece to the Atlanta offense.
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The Hawks are putting up 104 points per game in this series even without a reliable wing scorer. Hardaway heating up can allow them to score with the Wizards. Hardaway’s adversary, Bradley Beal, has been terrific in this series, notably averaging 14 points per fourth quarter through two games. If the Hawks are to have a shot, Hardaway must close the gap in that matchup.
But Hardaway’s offense can benefit more than just himself. His presence will take pressure off of Millsap and Schroder, giving Atlanta the third scorer that a team desperately needs. And when Hardaway is on, we all know that he can be a go-to guy.
In Game Three, Mike Budenholzer would be wise to try to get Hardaway going in front of the home crowd. His aggressiveness goes hand-in-hand with his own energy and feeding off of the home fans can help give him some confidence.
Hardaway has also had some issues taking care of the ball, a problem that has hampered the entire team. If the Hawks can get him in a rhythm and help him to not press, the turnover problem can begin to be solved.
Next: Malcolm Delaney Back in the Rotation for Game Three?
The Hawks rely too much on Hardaway’s offense for him to be playing like he is. His struggles indicate two of the major problems for the Hawks in this series (turnovers and inconsistent shooting). And if Hardaway gets going, the Hawks still have a real chance to advance to the second round.